WHITE.
One word.
The only way she could describe what surrounded her.
Hayden blinked.
Had her gun exploded?
Had she gone blind?
She blinked again.
Coma?
Again.
No - dreaming, maybe.
That seemed more likely.
She glanced down. Naked.
Definitely not blind, then.
Then it appeared - a silver sphere, hovering silently at eye level.
"Hello," it said.
Hayden blinked.
The voice was female. Smooth.
"I am 029," it continued.
Mid-30s, maybe. No inflection. No accent she could place.
"You may call me Cyrus."
Hayden stared.
The voice was almost human—too even, too clean. Artificial.
"You have met the requirements as outlined in our contract."
She blinked again. "Pardon?"
The sphere drifted closer, stopping just an arm's length away.
Hayden didn't move.
"As agreed, twenty-eight years ago," it said, "on the twelfth day of the fourth month, in the year two-thirty-six of the Sovian Era."
Hayden frowned, calculating.
Twenty-eight years ago?
She would've been five.
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't recall."
"You needn't," the sphere replied calmly. "We have upheld our end of the agreement. Now, you must fulfill the obligations previously stated."
Hayden inhaled sharply through her nose. "I don't recall making any agreement with you."
Whatever this thing was, it was starting to seriously piss her off.
The sphere paused. A shimmer flickered beside it—then a glowing blue screen snapped into view.
Silence hung heavy for a moment.
Then -
CRACK.
Thunder boomed so loud it rattled her bones.
A child appeared on the screen. Mud-streaked, hair tangled with twigs. Rain clung to her skin, soaking her clothes until she looked like a rat in rags.
She was staring upward.
At something.
At her.
Hayden froze.
The girl's face was streaked with tears. She hiccupped, voice small, body trembling:
"I agree."
It was Hayden's voice.
Younger. Higher. Unmistakable.
Hayden blinked.
The screen vanished.
"We have provided a total of fifteen years of optimised happiness," the sphere said flatly. "As agreed, you are now required to render fifteen years of service in return."
"Happiness?" Hayden muttered, cold.
The silver sphere flickered red. "Please wait while we initiate binding."
Hayden blinked again.
A thought darted through her head - sharp, instinctive.
What happens if I crush this thing?
"We may now proceed."
Hayden lunged.
And tumbled.
Her body slammed into uneven ground. Gravel skittered beneath her weight. Red dust rose in clouds. Rocks bit into her skin. Light stabbed at her eyes.
Something was pressing into her back. And her ass. Definitely skin contact.
Was she naked again?
Fuck.
"Hello!" chirped a cheery voice.
Hayden blinked. She was doing that a lot. Should I just cut off my eyelids?
"I'm Evo!"
Her vision cleared.
A small, fluttering figure stood before her - humanoid, winged, almost doll-like. Youthful. Androgynous. Hayden couldn't place a gender.
Threat level?
Possibly harmless.
It grinned, laughing brightly, teeth shining.
"I'm your Villain Reformation System!"
BOOM.
RED. PURPLE AND JADE GREEN.
Tiny fireworks erupted behind it in the sky.
It clapped, body shaking with excitement, arms stretched wide.
"I'm here to help you-!"
Hayden swatted at it like a fly.
The tiny creature darted out of reach, squealing like a pig.
She sat up, ignoring the sting in her limbs, and took in her surroundings.
Trail. Mountain. Some kind of hiking path?
She wiggled her toes. At least those worked.
Her spine probably wasn't broken. Hopefully.
The wind whistled. Leaves chimed like a rusted song. Birds harmonized—fluttering wings and sharp cries cutting through the sky like arrows. Trees towered around her, like giants holding hands in a frenzied dance.
She looked up.
The sky peeked shyly through the canopy, scattering light across her skin like falling fireflakes.
"Host?"
Hayden turned her head. The creature hovered beside her, wings buzzing softly.
"Host?" it repeated nervously. "You… didn't like my entrance?"
Silence.
A rustling of leaves caught her attention. A small creature tumbled out of the forest, running past her feet.
It looked horrendous.
A mish-mash of a rat and bird, with tiny wings fluttering on its back as it ran wildly. Was it a monster? She hadn't seen one in a decade.
Hayden blinked.
"Host?"
She tilted her head towards it.
"What the fuck are you?"